Epping students offered second prom after booze incident

Venue donates facility at no additional charge

EPPING — The Somersworth banquet facility where the Epping High School junior prom was held Friday night is giving students a second chance after their big night ended early because one girl was found with a flask of rum.

EPPING — The Somersworth banquet facility where the Epping High School junior prom was held Friday night is giving students a second chance after their big night ended early because one girl was found with a flask of rum.

Calling the booze bust an “unfortunate” incident, Neil MacLeod, clubhouse manager and food and beverage director at The Oaks Golf Links, said he has reached out to the high school and offered to allow the more than 120 students to return to finish their prom at no additional cost.

“We'll give them the room and their fireworks,” MacLeod said Tuesday.

The offer, which has not yet been accepted, comes after many prom-goers and their parents expressed outrage over the decision to shut down the prom only an hour after it began.

Somersworth police Capt. Russell Timmons said a 17-year-old from Epping was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol. An 18-year-old female who was with her when the alcohol was found isn't facing charges.

Timmons said the girl was holding a flask when she was caught. He said she had a flask and a bottle.

“The beverage of choice was Parrot Bay rum,” he said.

MacLeod said a waitress from The Oaks overheard two girls talking about drinking at the prom before they went into a restroom where they were caught.

The waitress then notified management, which in turn informed police.

After the girls were brought outside, MacLeod said they told police that there was more booze in the room. He said police searched vehicles and confiscated alcohol.

MacLeod said the girls also claimed that others had alcohol in their bags.

“My staff also heard a lot of conversations about how drunk they were going to get and how much booze they had,” MacLeod said.

MacLeod said alcohol bottles were also found on the side of the driveway and in bushes the next day.

“There was evidence there was a lot more in that room and at that point it was like, 'What are we going to do, search everybody?' We do feel bad about the whole situation,” he said.

After management discussed the issue with the school's principal and police, MacLeod said they agreed to allow the students to eat dinner before deciding how to proceed.

A short time later, MacLeod said the principal announced that the prom was being shut down because the rules about alcohol were violated.

“Unfortunately, when laws get broken and things are just not right there are consequences for their actions,” MacLeod said.

Under state law, MacLeod said The Oaks' liquor license doesn't allow the public to bring alcohol; it can only be provided by the facility.

In addition, he said no alcohol could be served because it was an underage crowd.

Timmons said The Oaks had the right to terminate the event because rules weren't followed.

“That's their policy and they make it well known when you sign up and rent their facility,” Timmons said. “You had the mistakes of a few impacting the masses.”

The incident prompted The Oaks to make some changes to prevent a similar problem in the future.

On the night of the Epping prom, MacLeod said some students arrived a half-hour early and before police were on hand to oversee the event.

“A lot of the prom-goers brought bags in and apparently some of those bags contained alcohol, we're told,” MacLeod said.

Because of the Epping incident, MacLeod said the facility asked those attending a prom the following night to leave their bags in their vehicles and if they brought a bag in it would be examined. The boys were also told to open their tuxedo jackets so they could be checked.

“This is our new procedure for underage parties,” MacLeod said.

It's the first time a prom has been shut down since the facility opened in 2005, MacLeod said.

He said prom-goers have arrived under the influence, but have never been caught with liquor on the premises.

Dave Mylott, chairman of the Epping School Board, said the board hasn't had a chance to meet yet to discuss the incident, but members have received calls from upset parents.

“I know the principal is actively looking for some way to make it better,” he said.